The present invention relates generally to fastener driving tools, and more particularly to a new and improved battery pack latching assembly for incorporation within such fastener driving tools.
As disclosed within the aforenoted United States Patent applications, which are hereby incorporated herein, in their entirety, by reference, portable combustion powered fastener driving tools, for use in connection with the driving of fasteners into workpieces, are of course well known. In connection with such portable combustion powered fastener driving tools, reduced cost and reduced weight are factors which are important and which are always considered in connection with the fabrication or manufacture of such tools. In view of the fact that the fastener driving tools with which we are concerned are portable fastener driving tools, the tools have self-contained power sources which include, for example, a battery pack or holder, comprising a plurality of batteries, which is necessary for providing electrical power required for the combustion process as well as for providing electrical power required for the operation of the combustion chamber fan.
One known manner or means by which the cost and weight of the fastener driving tool may be reduced is to eliminate the ON/OFF switch for the tool. Accordingly, in order to prevent unintentional operation of the tool, and to ensure the safety of both the operator as well as other job-site personnel, some operators electrically disengage the battery pack or holder which is normally held or retained within a suitable hollow portion or battery pack socket defined within the tool housing or handle. However, such electrical disengagement of the battery pack or holder from its electrical power connection mode or state within the fastener driving tool sometimes presents other operational and safety problems. When the operator is moving, such as, for example, should the operator be climbing a ladder or moving along a scaffold, the conventional loosely held disconnected battery pack or holder may become dislodged from or fall out of the tool. Consequently, this is inconvenient for the operator who must then have to retrieve the battery pack or replace the same with a different battery pack. In addition, the battery pack may be damaged, as a result of the dropping of the same, necessitating its replacement, and lastly, the fall of the battery pack may pose a potential safety hazard to other jobsite personnel within the vicinity.
Accordingly, in accordance with the disclosure, teachings, and principles as set forth within the aforenoted United States Patent applications, and as can be appreciated from FIGS. 1-3, which correspond to FIGS. 10-12 of the aforenoted patent applications, the fastener driving tool is provided with a unique battery pack or holder having separate locked operational and standby positions thereby permitting an operator to effectively turn the fastener driving tool OFF by disconnecting the battery power from the tool while simultaneously locking the battery pack or holder within the tool so as to prevent the battery pack or holder from falling out of the tool. More particularly, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fastener driving tool is generally indicated by the reference character 10 and is seen to comprise a handle assembly which is generally indicated by the reference character 82. A hollow portion or socket member 102 is defined within a lower portion of the handle assembly 82, and a battery pack or holder 100, which is adapted to contain a plurality of batteries 116 as best seen in FIG. 3, is adapted to be movable within the hollow portion or socket member 102 of the handle 82 between separate locked operational and stand-by positions. More specifically, as best seen in FIG. 3, the fastener driving tool 10 comprises a plurality of power contacts 114 which are mounted upon the end wall of the socket member 102 opposite the entrance to the socket member 102, and the battery pack or holder 100 is similarly provided with a plurality of battery contacts 112. Obviously, the battery pack or holder 100 is shown in its stand-by position, state, or mode in FIG. 3 at which the battery contacts 112 are electrically disengaged or disconnected from the power tool contacts 114 whereby electrical power is not supplied from the batteries 116 to the tool circuitry, not shown, whereby the power tool is effectively disabled.
In order to lockingly retain the battery pack or holder 100 at either one of its operational or stand-by positions with respect to the hollow portion or socket member 102, the socket member or hollow portion 102 is provided with two apertures 104a,104b, and the battery pack or holder 100 is provided with a single detent or inherently biased tooth member 106. When the battery pack or holder 100 is initially inserted into the hollow portion or socket member 102, the tooth member 106 will initially engage itself within the first aperture 104a, as shown in FIG. 3, whereby the battery pack or holder 100 is therefore locked within the hollow portion or socket member 102 at the non-operational or standby position. The battery pack or holder 100 may be provided with written indicia, such as, for example, the word OFF, as designated at 118 in FIG. 2, which is adapted to be visible through aperture 104b whereby a visual indication to the operator of the non-operational or standby state or mode of the tool 10 is provided. When it is desired to activate the fastener driving tool 10, the operator depresses a tab 120, which is integrally connected to the biased tooth member 106, so as to cause the biased tooth member 106 to be released from the first aperture 104a whereupon the battery pack or holder 100 can be moved longitudinally inwardly within the hollow portion or socket member 102 until the battery pack or holder contacts 112 electrically engage the power tool contacts 114 at which time the biased tooth member 106 will also be able to be engaged within the second aperture 104b so as to lock the battery pack or holder 100 at its operational position or state. Suitable additional written indicia, such as, for example, the word ON, not shown, may also be provided upon the battery pack or holder 100 so as to be visible through aperture 104a in order to provide the operator with a visual indication that the operational state of the fastener driving tool 10 has been achieved.
As might be readily realized, the aforenoted battery pack and latching system has of course been commercially successful. In fact, such battery pack and latching system has been so successful that it is now desirable to incorporate such a battery pack and latching system into virtually all different types of portable tools. However, an implementation problem exists in connection with the incorporation of such a battery pack and latching system into existing portable tools. More particularly, existing portable tools, other than the particular tool disclosed within the aforenoted United States patent applications, do not have a pair of apertures, similar to the apertures 104a,104b provided within the aforenoted patent application tool housing, defined within their tool housings, but to the contrary, such portable tools are provided with only a single aperture for locking or latching their battery packs within their respective tools at the ON position, such tools not being provided with any means for latching or locking the battery pack upon the tool at an OFF position. Consequently, if the battery pack and latching system disclosed within the aforenoted United States patent applications were to be incorporated within the existing portable tools, a dual latching system, corresponding to the dual locked OFF and ON states of the tool, would not be able to be achieved.
More specifically, if the battery pack and latching system disclosed within the aforenoted United States patent applications were to be incorporated within the existing portable tools, only a first latched or locked OFF state would be able to be achieved for the tool by means of the single detent element or latch of the battery pack cooperating with the single aperture defined within the tool housing side wall, however, a second latched or locked ON state would not be able to be achieved in view of the fact that there is no additional or second aperture defined within the tool housing side wall for accommodating the single latch or detent element of the battery pack when the battery pack is pushed or inserted further into the tool housing socket. Alternatively, depending upon the placement or disposition of the single detent element or latch upon the battery pack, only a second latched or locked ON state would be able to be achieved for the tool by means of the single detent element or latch of the battery pack cooperating with the single aperture defined within the tool housing side wall, however, a first latched or locked OFF state would not be able to be achieved in view of the fact that there is no additional or second aperture defined within the tool housing side wall for accommodating the single latch or detent element of the battery pack when the battery pack is retracted out from the tool housing socket. Obviously, neither one of these alternative, single latched or locked dispositions or states of the battery pack, with respect to the portable tool, is desirable.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a dual mode battery pack latching or locking system which can be readily incorporated, in effect, in a retrofitted manner, within existing portable tools which are provided with a single locking or latching aperture such that both locked or latched ON and OFF states can be achieved in connection with such existing tools.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved dual state battery pack latching or locking system for incorporation within portable tools.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved dual state battery pack latching system for portable tools wherein the battery pack may be latched or locked at both its OFF and ON states within the tool housing socket.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved dual state battery pack latching system for portable tools wherein the battery pack may be latched or locked at both its OFF and ON states within portable tool housing sockets provided with a single locking or latching aperture.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved dual state battery pack latching system for portable tools wherein the battery pack may be readily incorporated in a retrofitted manner within existing portable tool housing sockets provided with a single locking or latching aperture such that the battery pack mounted upon such existing portable tools may be latched or locked at both its OFF and ON states.
The foregoing and other objectives are achieved in accordance with the teachings and principles of the present invention through the provision of a new and improved battery pack latching or locking mounting system which comprises a battery case, a cell pack disposed within the battery case, a battery cap or end closure, and a spacer which is longitudinally interposed between the cell pack and the battery cap or end closure. A first latching element or detent is mounted upon the spacer, and a second latching element or detent is mounted upon the battery cap or end closure. When the battery pack is initially mounted within the tool housing socket, the first latching element or detent of the spacer lockingly engages the single aperture defined within a side wall portion of the tool housing socket so as to lock the battery pack at its first OFF position or state. When the battery pack is moved still further into the tool housing socket in the longitudinal direction so as to be moved to the second ON position or state, the second latching element or detent of the battery cap or end closure engages the first latching element or detent of the spacer and causes the first latching element or detent of the spacer to be depressed radially inwardly so as to be disengaged from the single aperture defined within the side wall portion of the tool housing socket such that the first latching element or detent is able to be accommodated internally within tool housing socket. In addition, the second detent or latching element of the battery cap or end closure is now permitted to engage the single aperture defined within the side wall of the tool housing socket so as to lock or latch the battery pack at the ON position or state with respect to the portable tool.